Portrait of John le Carré

John le Carré

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

1974. Sceptre, 1999.

On the canal towpath, meanwhile, Guillam had resumed his vigil of the house. The footpath is closed to the public one hour before dark: after that it can be anything from a trysting place for lovers to a haven for down-and-outs; both, for different reasons, are attracted by the darkness of the bridges

The house, with 'a strip of walled back garden running down to the Regent's Canal', is where George Smiley has set a trap for the mole who has been passing secrets to the Soviet Union. All the action takes place here; no mention of the park.